DHD Friday (03.23) 68.25 M | THE HUNGER GAMES (Crow-serving on-going :))

[rockNrollaDIM]

This isn't as impressive as TDK.

It's going to come shockingly close to TDK OW (unadjusted) in the middle of March, without a decades long history of a character not to mention a fantastically received first film in the reboot, plus Ledger mania. I'd put it as more impressive than TDK. At least in terms of OW.

[theultimatebiu]

I don't know how anyone can say ST 09 had one of the most impressive openings off all time. It did well but come on.THG is doing SUMMER numbers in March with a marketing campaign that DELIBERATELY missed out the action sequences and marketed the drama and characters. Simply amazing stuff.

[rockNrollaDIM]

Same. I had this at 68.6 for the OD, but with a 25.5M midnight. Should hold much better over the weekend.

Yeah. I had 70m OD including 25m midnights. For it to do it with 5m less midnights is crazy.

[rockNrollaDIM]

I don't know how anyone can say ST 09 had one of the most impressive openings off all time. It did well but come on.THG is doing SUMMER numbers in March with a marketing campaign that DELIBERATELY missed out the action sequences and marketed the drama and characters. Simply amazing stuff.

We really need to consider that as well, totally agreed. I'm still in awe that LG didn't give in and show any action or money shots. Well played.

[CloneWars]

And yet, that decades' old fan base never once translated to an opening anywhere near that of ST09.

For all intents and purposes, it was a dead property, thus making it a greater challenge to succeed.. THG is the exact opposite, and hefty marketing behind it as well. If anything, it had an easier chance at a big opening compared to ST.

Again, big isn't always "more impressive" to me. What matters is context, and both Blair and Borat literally shocked the industry with their openings. They were hard R flicks, the former with a shoestring budget, and they became phenomenons with their release. I think folks that weren't around or weren't following box office at the time of certain events like those tend to vastly undervalue important perspectives like that.

THG's opening doesn't make it a phenomenon -- it was already a phenomenon as a book series. It had brand recognition, just like Spider-Man, Potter, Twilight, etc. It didn't make $68 million because of the movie itself, it did so because of the popularity of the books.

You can talk down THG's opening all you like, but I'm sure a month ago, you were on the edge of even the possibility of a $100M opening. THG's opening is impressive, and so are the other openings as well. I think you're just bitter that you didn't see this coming, and yet you are acting like you did it see it coming.

[blackspider]

It's going to come shockingly close to TDK OW (unadjusted) in the middle of March, without a decades long history of a character not to mention a fantastically received first film in the reboot, plus Ledger mania. I'd put it as more impressive than TDK. At least in terms of OW.

Agreed. TDK is super impressive in its own right, but it had a lot of things going for it. TDK's impressiveness goes beyond its OW. It's first set of weekdays were absolutely insane. Hunger Games doing these kinds of numbers in March is absolutely insane.

[Cedarpoint1111]

Imagine if this was in 3D. Would we be seeing OW record?

[B J]

Imagine if this was in 3D. Would we be seeing OW record?

Yes

[Biggestgeekever]

I predicted $145m off a $68m friday... except I had $25m in midnights, so I'm sure $150m is the ticket here. And yes, that would be the most impressive opening in recent history.

[CloneWars]

I don't know how anyone can say ST 09 had one of the most impressive openings off all time. It did well but come on.THG is doing SUMMER numbers in March with a marketing campaign that DELIBERATELY missed out the action sequences and marketed the drama and characters.Simply amazing stuff.

Exactly! This opened in March, a month where the next two big openers were at $116M (with 3D to really help) and $70M. And, I think Alice had like a 80% or so OW share because 3D was so big. Without 3D, chances were Alice wouldn't be $100.

[rockNrollaDIM]

I'm so happy they put this out in march now. Wonder how it would have done in June/July.

[B J]

Talking down this films opening doesn't make much sense to me, it's ridiculously impressive. More impressive than TDKs even.

Edited March 24, 2012 by B J

[spizzer]

Again, I'm unable to keep track of the sellouts because of enormous volume. I've been tracking 35 theaters in total, and of the 36:1 is playing over 40 showtimes4 are playing over 35 showtimes8 are playing over 30 showtimes15 are playing over 25 showtimes20 are playing over 20 showtimes23 are playing over 15 showtimesIn total, there are 710 showtimes playing at 35 theaters

[Shawn Robbins]

It's going to come shockingly close to TDK OW (unadjusted) in the middle of March, without a decades long history of a character not to mention a fantastically received first film in the reboot, plus Ledger mania. I'd put it as more impressive than TDK. At least in terms of OW.

Did TDK have a trilogy of books that were best-sellers for four years?

I don't know how anyone can say ST 09 had one of the most impressive openings off all time. It did well but come on.

The reasons are there, you're free to disagree. I didn't say it was one of the most impressive of all-time, just more impressive in some ways than THG's (to me). Again, big does not equal impressive. Big equals big, and yes, THG's is obviously one of the "biggest" of all-time.

You can talk down THG's opening all you like, but I'm sure a month ago, you were on the edge of even the possibility of a $100M opening. THG's opening is impressive, and so are the other openings as well. I think you're just bitter that you didn't see this coming, and yet you are acting like you did it see it coming.

Anyone that thinks I'm talking it down is letting their own bias get in the way and ignoring what I've specifically said. Either be considerate of someone else's opinion, or don't bother responding. Your accusations are a little disrespectful, and wildly inaccurate. Edited March 24, 2012 by ShawnMR

[blackspider]

Imagine if this was in 3D. Would we be seeing OW record?

I'm glad it isn't in 3D. DH2 broke the OW despite being ranked 6th in estimated attendance. Hunger Games doing these kinds of numbers without 3D shows that it belongs with the big boys.

[Bluebomb]

This is easily one of the most impressive OWs of the decade.

[Cedarpoint1111]

Studios will be tripping over themselves to schedule tent-poles in March. This is great news for us since we won't have to wait until Summer or the holidays for decent movies anymore.

[B J]

Shawn up until July 2011 the series as a whole had not even sold more than 3m books, I can't believe you are actually using book sales.

[Kvikk Lunsj]

I think Marched helped this out. There was no competitions and it got the audience to excited to see a movie they wanted to see.Summer would hurt The Hunger Games imo.

[CloneWars]

Studios will be tripping over themselves to schedule tent-poles in March. This is great news for us since we won't have to wait until Summer or the holidays for decent movies anymore.

Well, Disney already tried releasing one tentpole in March this year...It was called John Carter.